Edge Express: Micromanaging vs. Undercommunicating: Striking the Right Balance for Your Team

This Management Connection CE article appeared in the August 2025 issue of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Express. To view a PDF of this article click HERE.

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Micromanaging vs. Undercommunicating: Striking the Right Balance for Your Team

By: Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD

EVER FOUND YOURSELF THINKING, “If I want it done right, I might as well just do it myself”? Or on the flip side, caught yourself saying “I shouldn’t have to spell everything out!” when it comes to your staff? These thoughts are often reflective of two communication extremes that you might experience as a CDM, CFPP: micromanaging and undercommunicating.

Most of us don’t want to be micromanagers – but when someone forgets to fill out the temperature logs yet again, it’s easy to fall into that trap. At the other end of the spectrum, giving staff too much flexibility and freedom without proper guidance and training can leave everyone frustrated. The best foodservice managers learn over time to walk the line between these two extremes. With practice, you can provide enough direction to support efficiency and safety, while still allowing your team to build confidence and autonomy.

WHAT IS MICROMANAGING?

Micromanaging occurs when managers try to exhibit excessive control over tasks, constantly double-check work, or hover around employees more than necessary. For example, quick walk-throughs of the kitchen are certainly a good idea, but standing and watching an employee’s every move is likely not warranted. Training your staff on checking food temperatures is proper management, but constantly rechecking the temps they have logged sends the message that you don’t trust your team.

Research suggests micromanaging can kill morale, reduce job satisfaction, lower employees’ self-esteem, and lead to less productivity (if you’re acting as a bottleneck in task completion).

It is important to note that some studies show there are certain times when more oversight may be useful, such as for a brand-new employee during a training scenario, or a consistently underperforming employee. However, this should be used with a balance between independence and monitoring. In other words, not so much “micromanagement” but appropriate management.

WHAT IS UNDERCOMMUNICATING?

Undercommunicating lies at the other end of the communication spectrum, where you may be failing to give your staff the information they need to do their jobs well. This can include lack of training, assuming staff should “just know” how to execute tasks, or not providing regular feedback.

The idea of “role conflict” is prevalent among teams with undercommunication issues. This occurs when an employee is given work tasks without enough resources to complete them, when responsibilities are not clearly outlined, or when an employee is given differing demands from multiple individuals (for example, the CDM, CFPP and the head chef providing competing instructions to a line cook). In the foodservice setting, role conflict often occurs due to poorly defined job roles and/or a lack of knowledge and skill resources from lack of training. Research has found that employees experiencing role conflict are 53 percent more likely to report psychological distress at work, and are also more likely to report burnout.

In addition to unnecessary staff stress, undercommunication issues can also lead to poor service for your residents or students, inconsistent food quality, and food safety concerns.

FINDING THE MIDDLE GROUND

Your goal for communication is to find the middle ground between these two extremes, providing support and structure for your team without disempowering them. Here are some actionable tips:

1. Set clear expectations.

Start with clearly written job descriptions and standard operating procedures – but don’t stop there. Clear expectations also include communicating your “big picture” vision for the department, explaining how success is measured, and describing any upcoming changes to processes or procedures. Be sure to revisit these expectations during onboarding, regular training, team meetings, and performance reviews. You can also use visual aids like posters, checklists, or white boards to help reinforce key points on a daily basis.

2. Develop proper training procedures.

When any employee starts a job in your department, they need structured training to fully understand their responsibilities, food safety concerns, occupational safety issues, and how to properly execute tasks. Training should also continue on a regular basis throughout the employee’s time at your facility. Host regular inservices, provide quick refreshers during a team huddle, or bring in guest speakers to build skills and offer fresh perspective.

3. Foster open lines of communication.

Micromanagement often stems from fear of being held accountable for others’ errors, while undercommunicating may result from being overwhelmed by your own responsibilities. Building clear lines of communication can help you avoid both of these. If employees feel safe to speak up, ask questions, or admit mistakes, communication improves and issues get resolved earlier.

You can start to develop these lines of communication via brief check-ins, asking employees “What’s going well for you this week?” or “Have you had any challenges today?” This creates a good feedback loop, showing your willingness to chat without hovering.

4. Practice the pause.

Before stepping in to fix a perceived issue, practice pausing and ask yourself: “Is this a major safety or customer service issue that would negatively impact our department?” If so, it’s a good time to step in and help shift course. However, if the answer is no, consider if you’re intervening simply because it’s not the way you’d personally complete the task. That’s a good sign to take a step back and let your employees handle it.

5. Ask for feedback…

One helpful way of getting feedback from your team is the “Start-Stop-Continue” approach. During a team meeting or via an anonymous survey, you can ask, “As a team…

• What should we continue doing?
• What should we stop doing?
• What should we start doing?”

This can help give clues as to whether your communication is striking the right balance, among other things.

6…And provide feedback.

Feedback is obviously important during annual performance reviews, but that shouldn’t be the only time it happens. Give timely praise when tasks are completed well and provide quick feedback to help correct mistakes. Use a coaching approach, rather than reprimanding. When your staff feels supported instead of criticized, it builds confidence and self-efficacy for their role. This should theoretically lead to more competent staff with fewer mistakes in the future.

7. Delegate.

Delegation – when it aligns with employees’ roles and skill sets – helps take tasks off of your plate and further develops your team. In fact, some research in healthcare settings suggests delegating a wide variety of tasks was actually linked to job satisfaction among employees.

Be clear about the outcome you expect, and train on steps to complete the task. But consider freedom in exactly how your employee accomplishes it once you hand the task over (when appropriate – some tasks will require more strict processes to follow). Remember, it’s OK if your staff executes tasks slightly differently than you would, as long as the end result is positive and safe.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Great foodservice leaders aren’t just experts in menu planning and nutrition modifications, they’re also skilled communicators. By avoiding the extremes of micromanaging and undercommunication, you can successfully build a capable and efficient team.

About the Author

Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD

Chrissy Carroll is a registered dietitian, freelance writer, and brand consultant based in central Massachusetts.